


Gave No Warning, No Quarter

by lakemosaic



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Darth Tantrum and his Evil Space Ginger, Everything was orchestrated by Peavey, He got tired of the UST, Hux will kill him if he finds out, Kinda, M/M, Ren flirts like a freight train, Soft Kylux, Stalling tactics by military genius Gen. A. Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 12:25:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16832569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakemosaic/pseuds/lakemosaic
Summary: After a battle against the Resistance takes a bad turn, Ren and Hux have to deal with unforeseen hardships - and each other.





	Gave No Warning, No Quarter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Glass_Oceans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Oceans/gifts).



> This fic is part of Kylux Secret Santa 2018 and was written for Glass_Oceans.

Ren dropped his altitude fast enough that his starfighter's controls had trouble keeping gravity towards the floor. The plasma bolt of the Resistance X Wing flew harmlessly over him and disappeared into the space.

It wasn't even the best he could do and he knew he was grinning wildly.

"Ren, stay in the kriffing formation," he heard Hux snap in his ear. To be honest, he hadn't even thought it would impress Hux. Kriff, nothing he ever did seemed to impress the redhead. "Kihawi, take on their right flank with your squadron," Hux continue barely with a pause.

_And now I apparently don't even exist anymore._

Ren ignored Squadron Leader Kihawi's reply which was a predictable _Sir Yes Sir_ and continued his hunt for the squadron leaders of the X Wings. This was the kind of battle where his Force abilities were only minimally useful compared to his piloting skills. Unfortunately it had been years since he had last flown in a formation with other fighter pilots.

"Squadron Whatever Your Number Was, whoever has the second highest rank will lead until I say so. I'm more effective alone," Ren said to the comm in his ear, trusting that someone would pick it up.

"Ren, don't you dare! Now is not the time to go solo." Hux's voice was like a whip.

Ren yanked the comm unit from his head and hit the mute button before his heartbroken howl could be heard on the channel. The bastard just couldn't have said anything else.

The rest of the battle went by in a blur of intense concentration. Ren had ended up using the Force to shield his starfighter on a couple occasions either when he hadn't been fast enough to dodge or when taking the hit would lead him to a better position to shoot. He hadn't really been able to keep an eye on what "his" squadron had been doing. As far as he knew, he hadn't shot any of them down and that was good enough for him.

The last moments of space battles were always chaotic with broken starfighters and pieces of machinery and people floating around and the losing side trying to jump to hyperspace or to head to the nearest planet and the winner either chasing them or trying to regroup. Ren stared at his monitors to see what other First Order aircraft seemed to be doing.

He frowned. The TIE fighters and bombers were just milling around. Some of them were heading for the Finalizer but not landing on it.

Knowing in his gut that something had gone wrong, Ren yanked the comm unit back into his ear and turned it on. There were several people hurriedly speaking on the line which wasn't unordinary at the end of a space battle. It still made Ren's pulse pick up.

"This is Kylo Ren. Someone tell me what's going on!"

At least the voices shut up. Unfortunately, no one answered him.

"Kylo Ren to the Finalizer. Why aren't we chasing the Resistance?!"

No was no reply.

"Kylo Ren to the Finalizer. Answer me, Hux!"

"Lord Ren, this is Lieutenant Mitaka. The Finalizer has taken several direct hits. You are currently the highest ranking officer in action, since Hux--"

Ren felt like the whole world had concentrated into those words, seemingly so innocent: _You are currently the highest ranking officer._ He knew the words would make sense if he allowed his brain to process them.

He had no intention of doing so.

"I don't care!" Ren snapped, interrupting Mitaka. "Kihawi, collect your squadron and go after the Resistance and finish off any stragglers."

"...Sir yes sir."

"Mitaka, produce a list of casualties and damages and have copies sent to both me and Hux."

He had _no intention_ of doing so.

"Peavey, handle the logistics of getting all our aircraft and living and wounded back to the Finalizer."

"And Mitaka: prepare whichever hangar is at the best condition for my landing."

_No._

###

The moment his ship stopped moving, Ren unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat and started running to the door. He commanded it to open and jumped out, using the Force to slow down his descend to the floor of hangar 1050H.

There was even more chaos in the hangar than there had been in the vastness of space but even a glimpse of Ren's hulking shadow barreling towards them would have been enough to make anyone step aside. Ren ignored the people around him and headed towards the command bridge. Either Hux's body was there or someone there would know what exactly had happened.

_How the kriff am I going to explain this to the Supreme Leader?_

Ren almost slammed himself to a wall in his hurry to turn around when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

He could only believe it once he saw the familiar silhouette, the disdainful green eyes and the expressive mouth.

What was new was the orange cat in Hux's arms.

"I thought I told Peavey to order you to chase after the Resistance with your squadron," Hux said and Ren had never loved seeing his lips tighten in displeasure so much.

_I thought you were dead, you bastard._

"Well, unfortunately for you I don't take orders from anyone else than y-- the Supreme Leader." Ren swallowed and forced himself to keep looking into Hux's eyes. Avoiding the other man's gaze would only make everything worse.

"Neither do I," Hux said after a moment of silence. "We can certainly discuss our commitment to the Supreme Leader later: now I'm needed at the bridge."

"I told Kihawi to chase the Resistance and make sure they actually leave and Peavey to organize everything else. Mitaka is creating a report about the casualties and losses and will send it to us both."

To Ren's surprise, Hux blinked. "Oh. Thank you," the General said, sounding like he was uncertain whether he had hallucinated the past minute of discussion. Ren felt a bit surreal as well: he couldn't remember Hux ever before thanking him for anything.

It wasn't a bad feeling.

###

Not for the first time with Ren, Hux wasn't entirely sure of what to do next. Ren had been sprinting down the corridor like he was trying to break some kind of galactic world record and had then almost slipped when he had tried to stop. Hux had to admit that he wouldn't be physically capable of such grace as Ren when the knight had twisted to avoid a collision with the wall.

And then the hulking beast of a man had been just standing there, panting, hair a haphazard black halo around his head. The indescribable look in his eyes had made Hux forget why he had stopped Ren in the first place. To avoid looking like an idiot, he had said the first thing that came to his mind. To be honest, he was fairly surprised that they hadn't ended up fighting and that Ren hadn't said anything mean about Millicent, which would have lead to them fighting. Of course the problem with a civilized discussion with Kylo Ren was that you had to figure out something to say to him.

"How much did Mitaka update you on the damages?" Hux said after Ren just stood there, looking at him weirdly.

"He just said that the Finalizer had been hit several times." Ren, for some reason, turned his gaze to the nondescript corridor wall and seemed to be avoiding him as much as someone could avoid another person without physically moving while standing right in front of them. _You could at least pretend to care about what happens to the First Order, you know?_ Hux muttered in his mind. He almost hoped that Ren had been reading his mind and had heard that but since nothing in the man's expression changed, presumably Hux's thoughts hadn't been eavesdropped on.

"One of the hits damaged our ventral hull in 83R, another crushed hangar 1414A and the third one breached the hull in 26D. Because of the latter, I ordered 25-28D, 25-26C and 26E to be quarantined." Hux was glad for his good memory. Not even his mad dash to save Millicent from his quarters in 25C had made him forget the details.

"Wait... You locked me out of my rooms?"

"There was nothing else that could be done, Ren. The whole area was losing pressure due to the fairly sizable tear in the ship's hull."

Hux watched Ren frown. "But still. Where am I going to sleep?"

_Good question._ Hux hadn't even had time to sort out his own sleeping situation, much less Ren's. "Let me check where Mitaka -" Hux glanced at Ren. "Well, Peavey has allocated us temporary lodgings." He lifted Millicent onto his shoulder, ignored her shifting to get into a more balanced position and pulled out his datapad. It took only a few clicks to find the correct document.

Hux hummed in displeasure and at Ren's questioning sound, he explained: "It seems that the hit damaged the structure so badly that the engineering corps recommend emptying also all decks next to the damaged areas even outside the quarantine zone."

"So? Just tell me the room and the area numbers."

"So." Hux took a long fortifying breath. "We are severely lacking in rooms and apparently there is only one suite up to our standards. Since our casualties were quite low, we are running out of space to room people." It was unfortunate. Hux cursed his excellent memory for details for immediately knowing that the suite came furnished with one standard-sized officer's bed. And there wouldn't be time to request a second bed to be moved to it.

Hux fought with himself for a moment before making a decision. Ren had physically fought in the battle, was covered in sweat and even though he seemed alert, Hux could almost see the fatigue hanging around him now that the adrenaline high of the battle was starting to dissipate. _I'll give him the bed and will sleep on the floor. I spent more nights sleeping on bare ground and in trees than I can count while in the field anyway so it's nothing new._

_I can survive one night's discomfort to ensure that Ren is comfortable._ Hux had to admit that the discovery was in and itself uncomfortable.

Ren looked at him. "You can't be serious."

"Do I look like I'm joking, Ren?" Hux snapped. _Nevermind. The idiot can sleep in the bathroom for all I care._

Seeing Ren's gaze move past his face to something above Hux's left shoulder and his lips quirk didn't make Hux feel any less embarrassed. Millicent chose that exact moment to wrap her tail around his head.

"How about we go to our room?" Hux offered quickly and turned on his heels to head to the room. Millicent had ridden on his shoulders often enough when he was pacing in his own rooms that she wasn't phased in the slightest by the sudden change of direction and speed.

###

Hux had been brushing his teeth for the past ten minutes, securely locked behind the bathroom door, and Ren was starting his fifty seventh round around their temporary quarters.

It was ridiculous. Even Hux's cat looked unimpressed by the situation. _I have slept beside my Knights on how many missions again?! This should be no different._

"Hux! Open the kriffing door!" he yelled, startling the orange cat. Ren watched it dash to hide under the bed; half of him wanted to follow it while the other half knew that it was now or never.

###

Hux stared at his reflection. He had taken a shower to get rid of the sweat he had worked up while dashing to save Millicent and to put the battle truly behind himself. Usually the ritual relaxed him but this time he found himself unable to concentrate on anything but the dangerous fact that freshly showered Ren was waiting for him on the other side of the door.

Hux had lost count on how many times he had brushed his teeth. Such a thing had never happened to him before.

"Hux! Open the kriffing door!" Ren's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.

Hux pointedly opened the faucet again and filled the temporary mug he was using. He kept looking into his face in the mirror in the hopes that he would come up with some way to get through the night with his dignity intact. He had slept next to a lot of soldiers both in the field and in the Academy but Ren was... Ren. That, for some reason, mattered.

"Damnit Hux, we need to talk about our sleeping arrangements!"

_No, we don't._ Hux watched himself purse his lips in the mirror and wondered how to go about this. 

_\YES WE DO!! Haul your ass here!\_

Startled, Hux dropped his toothbrush.

_Well, there goes that stalling tactic_ , he thought numbly while the headache that always followed Ren speaking directly into his mind started to make itself known. There was no way he would ever put a toothbrush that had been on the floor in his mouth.

_\Sorry.\_

"Stop invading my mind, you _brat_."

"Says the one who locked himself to the bathroom to avoid discussing this like an adult."

"I was brushing my teeth," Hux protested. He took a deep breath, gave the mirror one last glance to verify that he looked unflappable and then opened the door.

"For ten minutes?" was Ren's disbelieving answer.

"Flossing takes time."

Hux ignored Ren's unamused glare and looked around the room. It was still exactly like it had been before he went to take a shower and brush his teeth. The bed, on the other hand, looked like it had grown smaller.

Either that or Ren's huge bulk spread on it made it look positively tiny.

"I see you didn't take the chance to change into your sleepwear," Hux observed as casually as one could. Ren didn't seem all that embarrassed about his body. Hux didn't mind his body either, to be honest, but he would never be so crass as to not wear at least standard-issue pajama pants when sharing a bed with another.

To his surprise, Ren turned his head away. "Well, it wasn't me who quarantined my sleepwear, was it?" Ren sounded sulky. "My clothes are drenched in sweat from the battle, so I thought you may prefer me not to wear them to bed."

"...Thank you." It was actually pretty considerate, especially when coming from Ren.

"That's the second time."

On seeing Hux's confused frown, Ren continued: "The second time you have thanked me for something."

"Really? Surely I have thanked for a lot of things before." Hux had to admit that he couldn't off the top of his head name any of those times but he was sure that they existed. "Besides why would you even keep track of how many times I have thanked you for something?"

Now Ren seemed uncomfortable. He looked Hux in the eyes and opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it then. Afterwards he seemed like he was looking anywhere but at Hux.

"Yes?" Hux prompted when it seemed like Ren wasn't going to answer him. He had to admit he was conflicted over the knowledge that Ren had kept track. It could be that Ren was just doing it to prove to Snoke that Hux was being uncooperative, but Hux was feeling a little bit hopeful.

_Maybe._

"Ren?"

He watched Ren lick his lips and swallow hard enough to make his Adam's apple bob. "I... I don't mind you thanking me for things."

Now it was Hux's turn to hesitate. This could all be a misunderstanding but something in the way Ren was looking at him with his dark eyes full of expectation made him willing to take the leap.

"I don't mind it either. Thanking you, I mean."

Ren's delighted, hopeful smile seemed to light the room more than any command to the lights ever could. Maybe sleeping in the same bed wouldn't be such an inconvenience after all.

###

Hux woke up to the sound of Millicent purring contently somewhere in ten o'clock in relation to his face. He kept lying there drowsing, just listening to her happy sounds.

"Hux, you awake?"

Hux suppressed a smile and laid unmoving. He felt Ren shift and reach a hand presumably intending to give him a shake--

"OW!"

"She tends to express her displeasure if you stop petting her before she has gotten tired of it." Hux could have kept the laughter from his voice, but after the roller coaster that the past twenty four hours had been, he didn't see much reason for it.

"You could have warned me, you bastard," Ren grumbled.

Hux chuckled and kissed his shoulder. "Maybe next time I will."

He felt Ren press his thigh against his. "I'm looking forward to it."


End file.
